Roll Call: Votes in Congress

Published: Saturday, March 8, 2014 at 11:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 7, 2014 at 3:18 p.m.

Here’s how North Carolina members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending March 7.

House

LOAN GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE: Voting 385 for and 23 against, the House on March 6 passed a bipartisan bill (HR 4152) to allocate up to $1 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds to guarantee private-sector loans obtained by Ukraine to salvage its economy. Now awaiting Senate action, the bill would add Ukraine to the list of countries eligible for loan guarantees from a U.S. Department of State fund established for that purpose.

FAST-TRACK ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS: Voting 229 for and 179 against, the House on March 6 passed a bill (HR 2641) to scale back the National Environmental Policy Act as a regulator of large construction projects in America. The 1969 NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental consequences of projects they are building, authorizing by permit or helping to fund. Known as Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements, these detailed reviews must receive Environmental Protection Agency clearance before the project can proceed. In part, this bill sets a fast-track schedule for completing reviews; limits the number of reviews per project; authorizes states to prepare certain environmental assessments and allows agencies to accept secondary rather than original analyses of environmental impacts under certain circumstances.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it is expected to die.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKS ON NUCLEAR PLANTS: Voting 187 for and 220 against, the House on March 6 refused to exempt from HR 2641 (above) projects that involve building nuclear-power plants in earthquake fault zones.

A yes vote was in opposition to fast-track reviews of nuclear construction in earthquake-prone areas.

Voting yes: Butterfield, Price, McIntyre

Voting no: Ellmers, Foxx, Hudson, Pittenger, Meadows, Holding

Not voting: Jones, Coble, McHenry

FLOOD-INSURANCE PREMIUMS: Voting 306 for and 91 against, the House on March 4 passed a bill (HR 3370) to cap National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) premium increases at 18 percent per year per property. This would undercut reforms enacted in 2012 to trim the program’s debt, which stands at $24 billion due largely to covering damages from hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Sandy in 2012. The bill also would repeal a trigger in the 2012 law that subjects newly sold properties to premiums based on risk rather than subsidies. Serving a market shunned by private insurers, the NFIP covers 5.6 million residential and commercial properties in flood plains in 22,000 U.S. communities.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where progress is expected.

Voting yes: Butterfield, Price, McIntyre

Voting no: Foxx, Hudson, Pittenger, McHenry, Meadows, Holding

Not voting: Ellmers, Jones, Coble

Senate

SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN THE MILITARY: Voting 55 for and 45 against, the Senate on March 6 failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a bill (S 1752) to transfer the military’s handling of sexual-assault cases and certain other major offenses from the chain of command to outside military prosecutors, who would determine whether to file charges. All 100 senators then voted to pass a competing bill (S 1917) that would grade commanders on their record of preventing or dealing with sexual misconduct in their ranks, among other provisions. There were an estimated 26,000 sexual assaults in the U.S. military in 2012, a small percentage of which resulted in prosecutions, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said during debate.

A yes vote was to remove prosecutorial decisions from the chain of command.

Voting yes: Kay Hagan

Voting no: Richard Burr

REJECTION OF CIVIL RIGHTS NOMINEE: Voting 47 for and 52 against, the Senate on March 5 failed to reach a majority needed to end a GOP-led filibuster against the nomination of Debo P. Adegbile as assistant attorney general for civil rights. Adegbile, 47, drew criticism over his contribution to a 2009 NAACP Legal Defense Fund brief that argued the jury received improper instructions in the trial of Mumia Abu-Jamal on charges of murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. A federal appeals court agreed that the instructions were flawed and ordered a new sentencing hearing. Abu-Jamal then received a life sentence, which he is now serving, instead of the death penalty.

A yes vote was to advance the nomination.

Voting yes: Hagan

Voting no: Burr

A look ahead

In the week of March 10, the House will take up Medicare payment rates to doctors and the protection of private water rights, while the Senate will debate child care and development grants to states. Both chambers will vote on a bill imposing economic sanctions on Russia.

<p>Here's how North Carolina members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending March 7.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><h3>House</h3>
<p>LOAN GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE: Voting 385 for and 23 against, the House on March 6 passed a bipartisan bill (HR 4152) to allocate up to $1 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds to guarantee private-sector loans obtained by Ukraine to salvage its economy. Now awaiting Senate action, the bill would add Ukraine to the list of countries eligible for loan guarantees from a U.S. Department of State fund established for that purpose.</p><p>A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. </p><p>Voting yes: G.K. Butterfield, Renee Ellmers, David Price, Virginia Foxx, Mike McIntyre, Richard Hudson, Robert Pittenger, Mark Meadows, George Holding</p><p>FAST-TRACK ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS: Voting 229 for and 179 against, the House on March 6 passed a bill (HR 2641) to scale back the National Environmental Policy Act as a regulator of large construction projects in America. The 1969 NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental consequences of projects they are building, authorizing by permit or helping to fund. Known as Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements, these detailed reviews must receive Environmental Protection Agency clearance before the project can proceed. In part, this bill sets a fast-track schedule for completing reviews; limits the number of reviews per project; authorizes states to prepare certain environmental assessments and allows agencies to accept secondary rather than original analyses of environmental impacts under certain circumstances.</p><p>A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where it is expected to die.</p><p>Voting yes: Ellmers, Foxx, McIntyre, Hudson, Pittenger, Meadows, Holding</p><p>Voting no: Butterfield, Price</p><p>Not voting: Jones, Coble, McHenry</p><p>ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKS ON NUCLEAR PLANTS: Voting 187 for and 220 against, the House on March 6 refused to exempt from HR 2641 (above) projects that involve building nuclear-power plants in earthquake fault zones.</p><p>A yes vote was in opposition to fast-track reviews of nuclear construction in earthquake-prone areas. </p><p>Voting yes: Butterfield, Price, McIntyre</p><p>Voting no: Ellmers, Foxx, Hudson, Pittenger, Meadows, Holding</p><p>Not voting: Jones, Coble, McHenry</p><p>FLOOD-INSURANCE PREMIUMS: Voting 306 for and 91 against, the House on March 4 passed a bill (HR 3370) to cap National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) premium increases at 18 percent per year per property. This would undercut reforms enacted in 2012 to trim the program's debt, which stands at $24 billion due largely to covering damages from hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Sandy in 2012. The bill also would repeal a trigger in the 2012 law that subjects newly sold properties to premiums based on risk rather than subsidies. Serving a market shunned by private insurers, the NFIP covers 5.6 million residential and commercial properties in flood plains in 22,000 U.S. communities.</p><p>A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate, where progress is expected.</p><p>Voting yes: Butterfield, Price, McIntyre</p><p>Voting no: Foxx, Hudson, Pittenger, McHenry, Meadows, Holding</p><p>Not voting: Ellmers, Jones, Coble</p><h3>Senate</h3>
<p>SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN THE MILITARY: Voting 55 for and 45 against, the Senate on March 6 failed to reach 60 votes needed to advance a bill (S 1752) to transfer the military's handling of sexual-assault cases and certain other major offenses from the chain of command to outside military prosecutors, who would determine whether to file charges. All 100 senators then voted to pass a competing bill (S 1917) that would grade commanders on their record of preventing or dealing with sexual misconduct in their ranks, among other provisions. There were an estimated 26,000 sexual assaults in the U.S. military in 2012, a small percentage of which resulted in prosecutions, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said during debate.</p><p>A yes vote was to remove prosecutorial decisions from the chain of command.</p><p>Voting yes: Kay Hagan</p><p>Voting no: Richard Burr</p><p>REJECTION OF CIVIL RIGHTS NOMINEE: Voting 47 for and 52 against, the Senate on March 5 failed to reach a majority needed to end a GOP-led filibuster against the nomination of Debo P. Adegbile as assistant attorney general for civil rights. Adegbile, 47, drew criticism over his contribution to a 2009 NAACP Legal Defense Fund brief that argued the jury received improper instructions in the trial of Mumia Abu-Jamal on charges of murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. A federal appeals court agreed that the instructions were flawed and ordered a new sentencing hearing. Abu-Jamal then received a life sentence, which he is now serving, instead of the death penalty.</p><p>A yes vote was to advance the nomination. </p><p>Voting yes: Hagan</p><p>Voting no: Burr</p><h3>A look ahead</h3>
<p>In the week of March 10, the House will take up Medicare payment rates to doctors and the protection of private water rights, while the Senate will debate child care and development grants to states. Both chambers will vote on a bill imposing economic sanctions on Russia.</p>